Marlborough-Nelson Marine Radio Association Inc
Marlborough-Nelson Marine Radio Association is an Incorporated Society providing marine communication facilities within the wider Tasman Bay, Golden Bay, Cook Strait and Marlborough Sounds area of New Zealand.
The purpose of the Association is to provide safety through communication on VHF channels and assistance to the boating fraternity in central New Zealand. The privately owned channels and the services of Marlborough-Nelson Marine Radio are for the use of members only (unless in an emergency) - if you would like to join then please contact us.
Our repeaters cover most sea areas of central New Zealand - bounded by Kahurangi Point, Cape Farewell, Cape Egmont, Cape Palliser to Cape Campbell and down the coast to Clarence.
Annual Meeting 11 October 2023
The 2023 AGM of the Association will be held at 7.30pm on Wednesday 11 October 2023 at Waikawa Boating Club, Picton.
Nominations for positions on the Executive Committee close at 12 noon on Monday 9 October 2023. A Nomination Form is available here for printing and a Proxy Form is available here for printing. Completed nomination forms can be emailed to
All members and interested people are invited to attend the AGM and hear of the work of the Association over the last 12 months.
Following the business meeting Ken Ham, a guide dog handler for 43 years, will be our guest speaker. Ken along with Karenne his wife, live in a boat access only part of Queen Charlotte Sound. He is a long-time boating enthusiast and regularly travels between Waikawa Marina and his home in the Sounds, often passing the ferries and negotiating other craft. Regular listeners to the MNMRA channels will be familiar with Ken placing his trip reports, and we invite everyone to come along and hear Ken recount some of his life experiences.
Position Reports and Trip Reports
The Marlborough-Nelson Radio Executive has looked at the services offered to members and in particular the way a vessel's intentions and current position is logged. Consideration has been given to what members want and issues of liability and the ability of operators to follow up situations as they arise.
There are two types of reports that Marlborough-Nelson Radio operators will accept. They are Position Reports and Trip Reports.
Become a Member
To join Marlborough-Nelson Marine Radio and gain the use of our privately owned channels (01, 04, 05, 60, 63, 65 and 66) please either complete an online application or contact our office by
Membership fees are kept as low as possible to encourage everyone to join - to 31 July 2023 a recreational membership is $92 (incl gst) and a commercial membership is $198.38 (incl gst). Those commercial members with more than one vessel pay $179.40 (incl gst) for each additional vessel.
Vessel Call Signs
Call signs are a unique identifier for your vessel and are an important consideration for your safety. If you don't know your current call sign then please contact Coastguard Boating Education. They will help you to update your existing call sign or if required provide you with a new one.
Trip Reports (TR)
When placing a Trip Report (TR) please be ready to provide the following:
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Vessel name
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Callsign
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Departure point
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Destination
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Number of persons onboard (POB)
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Estimated time of arrival (ETA)
